The two active ingredients of the bark of magnolias that have generated research interests to their anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory activities.

Used as anti-depressant anti-stree medicinal magnolia bark oil

Magnolias are a source of Chinese herbal materials that are widely used internationally. There are two basic materials of frequent application: the bark of magnolia, called houpu, and the flower bud of a another magnolia, called xinyi or xinyihua.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Magnolia bark has a very wide range of applications. Many of the formulations with magnolia bark are aimed at treatment of lung disorders (including cough and asthma) or intestinal disorders (infections and spasms); magnolia bark is also a common ingredient in the treatment of abdominal swelling of various causes and edema.

Honokiol and magnolol are the main constituents simultaneously identified in the barks of Magnolia officinalis, which have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of respiratory and intestinal disorders.

Magnolia Flowers

Magnolia bark

More recently, magnolol and honokiol have generated much scientific interests as their potential in treating a number of cancers (see later part of this article). Magnolol and honokiol have also long been used in treating neurosis, anxiety, stroke, fever and headache.

In the present study, a team of researchers at the Nanjing University, China looked at the antidepressant-like effects of oral administration of the mixture of honokiol and magnolol in rats with laboratory-induced depression.

The stress models used in the study greatly reduced the rats' serotonin levels and platelet levels of adenylyl cyclase. Adenylyl cyclase is an enzyme whose activities have been shown to be lower among depressed patients.